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Key Trump Allies to be Arraigned in Arizona; Trump's Election Subversion Case Paused Indefinitely; Hearing to Start Steve Bannon's Prison Sentence; Star Witness Takes the Stand in Hunter Biden Trial; Hallie Biden Testifies in Hunter Biden Trial. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired June 06, 2024 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: In the next hour, key Trump allies are set to be arraigned in Arizona for their roles in the state's fake elector scheme. Among them, Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman, who was one of the fake electors who allegedly attempted to submit false documents to the National Archive, claiming that Donald Trump had won the State of Arizona.

Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, who was also indicted in the case, is required to appear in court, but He hasn't yet given a specific date when he plans to turn himself in. He did, however, say he plans to do it next week.

In Georgia, the election subversion case against Donald Trump and several of his co-defendants is now paused indefinitely, delivering a massive legal victory for the former president, who is hoping to push these legal issues into 2025, perhaps, at least -- at the very least, until after the 2024 election.

The appeals court in Georgia ruling the case there cannot go forward until a panel of judges decides whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is disqualified. Now, the D.A. can ask the appeals court to fast track that case. The timeline, though, is completely up to the court.

And happening in the next hour, Steve Bannon will be in a U.S. District Court over a Justice Department request to have him begin serving his four-month prison sentence. prison sentence. Trump's former adviser was convicted nearly two years ago of contempt of Congress after defying a subpoena involving the January 6th Capitol riots. CNN Political Correspondent Sarah Murray is live outside U.S. Sister Court in Washington. So, Sarah, what are we expecting in court today?

SARAH MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, this is really a continuing legal fight about whether it's time for Steve Bannon to face the repercussions of his decision to defy that House Committee that was investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. As you pointed out, it was years ago when Steve Bannon was convicted. It was July 2022, where a jury found him guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to provide testimony and refusing to provide documents to that House Committee investigating January 6th. The judge sentenced him to four months behind bars for that.

But the judge put a hold on his sentence and allowed Bannon to remain free while he appealed his conviction. His first crack at that appeal, though, failed. The appeals court rejected it, upheld his conviction. Now, the Justice Department says it's time for Bannon to be behind bars. Bannon's attorneys say he deserves more time to ask the full appeals court to revisit this decision and go to the Supreme Court if necessary, Erica.

HILL: Wow, this sounds like a tactic we've seen in other cases in terms of delaying and dragging things out. Sarah, I know you'll keep us posted. Thank you.

And still much more to come here in the "CNN Newsroom," including new details about Hunter Biden as a star witness takes the stand. Some of that testimony revealing. We'll have more on that after the break.

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HILL: A big win for Donald Trump. His election interference trial in Georgia delayed indefinitely, that is until an appeals court decides whether D.A. Fani Willis can stay on the case. It comes as some of the former president's allies are being arraigned today in Arizona for the election subversion case in that state.

Joining me now, CNN senior political commentator and former specialist assistant to President George W. Bush, Scott Jennings, and CNN political commentator and former South Carolina State Representative Bakari Sellers. Good to see you both this morning.

So, Bakari, I want to start with you in terms of what is happening in Georgia. This case now paused indefinitely while we wait to hear from the appeals court. I gave two of your titles, but my friend, you are also an attorney. So, for the folks playing at home, this is what I'm going to have you put on your legal hat here. What are the chances that they would, in fact, fast track this case given its implications with an upcoming election?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: I think what you're seeing right now is partisan politics playing a role in these decisions to kind of slow track this hearing in these cases and the decision on whether or not Fani Willis can continue as prosecutor. The fact is, there's no legal grounds to remove her. And so, this case will happen. The question is whether or not it's going to happen in early 2025 or later in 2025.

RICO cases in Georgia are very, very difficult to bring. They take a lot of time and all I have to do is point the -- point your viewers to the case right now of Young Thug. It's a RICO case. It took eight months to see the jury and it's still ongoing right now and may go into next year. And so, these cases take a while anyway.

This is somewhat of a self-inflicted wound by Fani Willis. However, there's no legal grounds to remove her. So, they should fast track it. They simply won't because of politics.

HILL: And Scott, when we look at this, it is a bit of a win, at least in this moment for Donald Trump. We know how the Trump legal team has been pushing for Fani Willis this be taken off of this case. I'm sure we will hear about this when he is out on the trail today. The case itself, though, there were multiple plea deals from co-defendants here. The allegations are serious.

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When you look at this, are you concerned that perhaps Trump taking a victory lap and even this delay overshadows some of the very serious concerns when it comes to allegations of trying to overthrow an election?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: There are serious issues here. I totally agree with you. I think the case was warranted when they brought it. I think if you're someone who is concerned about it being delayed, you need to understand that the whole reason it's being delayed is because the prosecutor, Willis, is ethically and politically compromised. Trump and his team raised legitimate issues. That's why it's slowed down, and that's their right to do that as a defendant and he's innocent until proven otherwise.

And so, yes, I agree serious issues. But the prosecutor here had serious lapses of judgment. And if it doesn't go to trial before the election, it's on her, not anybody else.

HILL: I just want to play just for folks who may not remember some of the things that Fani Willis said. This is one of the comments she made back in March.

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FANI WILLIS, FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I don't feel like my reputation needs to be reclaimed. Let's say it for the record. I'm not embarrassed by anything I've done. You know, I guess my greatest crime is I had a relationship with a man, but that's not something that I find embarrassing in any way. And I know that I have not done anything that's illegal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Bakari, you mentioned some of this was self-inflicted on the part of Fani Willis. But you're confident, do you think, that that can be overcome?

SELLERS: No question about it. I mean, look, if you want to say she had a lapse in judgment, so be it. If you want to say she should not have had a relationship with Nathan Wade, so be it. All of those are fair. She's not ethically compromised. She did not do anything illegal.

In fact, you have to have more than the appearance of impropriety in the State of Georgia if you go by the rule of law. Donald Trump is going to have his day in court. It was never going to be had in the State of Georgia prior to 2024. So, that's somewhat of a red herring. These RICO cases just take too long to bring.

And so, the question is, when in 2025 will this happen? Like, you know, when does he want to be cooked? Does he want to be cooked now or does he want to be cooked later? That's the question. His time will come. And Fani Willis will be the one who prosecutes him.

She brought a legitimate case. She brought a sound case. Some of his co-defendants have already pled guilty. And this is the case and probably the only case where Donald Trump actually has exposure to jail time. And so, he's scared. He should be.

HILL: Let's turn our attention now, gentlemen, if we could, to Arizona, where as I mentioned, some of Donald Trump's key allies expected to be arraigned in that state's election subversion case today. As we look at where this stands you know, excuse me, Scott, the allergies are killing me today, so I apologize.

When we look at this case in terms of Arizona, is any of this having an impact, Scott, do you think on the voters? Because again, right, as you've both noted, the charges in Georgia, very serious charges in Arizona, very serious. Is that getting through?

JENNINGS: I think it's already gotten through. I mean -- and I think it's already part of how people view the Donald Trump candidacy for 2024, whether you think about it at a macro level, January 6, or you think about it at a state level, Georgia or Arizona or any other state where people did things they should not have done, people have already taken all of it into consideration. And you see it sort of showing up in the polling. I mean, there is a reason that Joe Biden is stuck in the high 30s on job approval, but it's still somewhat competitive in the head to heads at the national levels. Some of it is wrapped up in this.

So, do the individual cases You know, cause drastic movements of the needle on a daily basis in these states. No, but I think the overall topic does put something of an anvil on the Trump campaign as voters decide whether that's more important to them or are things like the economy, you know, immigration and other issues that they're weighing in their daily lives.

HILL: So, that's steady drumbeat, Bakari. I mean, we've seen in some of the most recent polling, multiple things could be true at once. And I know you both know this, right, voters can care about more than one issue. The economy, incredibly important for voters. For a number of voters, so is preserving democracy. Are Democrats doing enough, Bakari, to hammer that point home?

SELLERS: Yes. In fact, I'm actually kind of tired of hearing it. They've been hammering that drumbeat for a very long time, almost to the exclusion of some other messaging. But, you know, I'm not sure Scott is quite right. In these particular states, like Georgia and like Arizona, it's not going to move the needle in wide swaths. But the consistent drumbeat, it's like the death by a thousand cuts.

Having these stories headline after headline, day after day, it builds into this narrative that, you know, Republicans are unable to lead, that the law-and-order party that once was under Ronald Reagan, as they like to claim, is no more, that it's an embarrassment, that they find themselves arrested, arraigned, convicted consistently, corruption. All of those things are embodied in this steady messaging and drumbeats.

[10:45:00]

And you tie that into the fact, particularly in Arizona, that -- which is a swing state, that you have the kind of standard bearer of the Republican Party being Kari Lake. When you have very poor candidates combined with steady headlines, that is a recipe for failure. So, it's a good day to be a Democrat or Ruben Gallego in the state of Arizona.

HILL: It's an interesting day to be Steve Bannon, as we sit to topics here for our last question. He's doing court in the next hour. You know, we're waiting to hear when he will begin this four-month prison sentence. He's been able to delay it several times in the past. Scott, what do you expect? I'll let you each weigh in really quickly on this. What do you expect today?

JENNINGS: I don't really know. I'm not an attorney and I was just reading up on this case before we came on the air. It's very confusing and very convoluted. I guess what I would say is he, like every other defendant in this country, deserves all of the legal processes that are afforded to American citizens. And he's taken advantage of all of them.

So, I don't really know what's going to happen. But I guess if I were in his shoes, I'd be doing the same thing, and that's trying to keep my rear end out of jail.

HILL: Bakari, how much longer can you go down this path?

SELLERS: Not long. Look, most -- I agree with Scott. I do a lot of criminal defense work and, you know, most people are afforded, you know -- and exhaust every path they can, every process they can. The difference between most Americans and Steve Bannon is that they do it from behind bars.

And so, I believe that he'll spend the next four months in a nice, cozy cell somewhere in a work camp, and he'll just have to get used to it. I mean, you do the crime, you pay the time. That's what they say.

HILL: Bakari Scott, good to see you as always. Thank you both.

JENNINGS: Thank you.

SELLERS: Thank you.

HILL: We are following new details this hour from Hunter Biden's federal trial, of course, on gun charges. A star witness now on the stand, a witness testifying that he introduced her to crack in 2018. We are live at the courthouse, next.

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HILL: Breaking news in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial, prosecutors have called perhaps their most significant witness yet. Hallie Biden, the widow of Beau Biden, who later was in a relationship with Hunter Biden, is on the stand at this hour, providing details about her relationship with Hunter, efforts to help him get clean and also testimony about the gun at the center of this case, which she threw in a dumpster in 2018.

Paula Reid joining us now with those very latest details. Paula, bring us up to speed on what Hallie Biden is sharing now with the court.

PAULA REID, CNN, CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Erica, this is the most significant testimony we have heard so far in this trial. To kick off her time on the stand, Hallie Biden described how she became romantically involved with Hunter Biden, who was, of course, her brother-in-law. She is the widow of his late brother, Beau Biden. She said it began after Beau died in 2015 and described their relationship as beginning gradually.

She also said that she occasionally saw Hunter with very large crack rocks that were the size of ping pong balls. She said that she witnessed Hunter smoke crack cocaine in the past and was even with him when he bought drugs from various dealers in Washington, D.C. She also testified that she had conversations with him about his drug use in 2017 and 2018. And she testified that sometimes he would say, look, just leave me alone. Other times he said that he was going to handle his addiction his way.

Now, our reporters inside the court, of course, there are no cameras, that's why I'm reading off of these notes we're getting from our reporters inside, they note that Hunter has been watching her very attentively as she testifies. Now, she also testified that Hunter introduced her to crack in 2018 and that she abused the drug. She said that it was a terrible experience and she is embarrassed and ashamed and regrets that period of her life.

Now, she says that she quit in August 2018, and that is significant because that's pretty close to the time in question in terms of the criminal charges at the heart of this case. The gun that he purchased was bought in October 2018. And so far, no witnesses or direct evidence has established that Hunter Biden was indeed using or addicted to illegal drugs in October 2018, but then she provided testimony that could potentially make the prosecutor's case.

Erica, she said that on October 23, 2018, she went to clean out Hunter's car. And while he was asleep and she found drugs and that gun. She said, I found remnants of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia. And this was alongside the gun that she actually took and then threw in a dumpster at a local store. Now, this is incredibly significant because this is the first person who has been able to take the stand and testify that they have some evidence that Hunter Biden may have been either using or addicted to drugs at the time in question. Now, I would expect that defense attorneys are going to point out the fact that she has not said that she personally witnessed him using drugs, but this is incredibly damaging for the defense.

HILL: Yes, certainly. As we continue to follow that there was also some movement from House Republicans yesterday who seem to have their sights set on potentially more criminal charges when it comes to Hunter Biden, a recommendation. What more can you tell us about that?

REID: That's right. They made two criminal referrals, one for Hunter Biden, one for his uncle James Biden. Now, again, there's been a lot of back and forth between Hunter Biden's team and folks on the Hill. And over the past year, you've seen Hunter take a much more aggressive approach to his detractors. Well, many in the White House would prefer that he not make any more of a scene.

He has gone up to the Hill with his lawyers, Abbe Lowell and Kevin Morris. They have sat in on hearings about Hunter Biden. They have sat in on hearings about Hunter Biden. They have showed up to try to avoid contempt by holding a press conference on the Hill instead of showing up for testimony. So, there's been a lot of back and forth between Hunter Biden and the Hill, but unclear if this criminal referral will really go anywhere.

[10:55:00]

Hunter Biden is already, of course, facing two criminal trials. This is the first. The second one is a tax case that is expected to go to trial in September out in Los Angeles.

HILL: Paula, appreciate it. Thank you. And thanks to all of you for joining us this hour. I'm Erica Hill. Please stay tuned. Our live coverage from the 80th anniversary of D-Day continues in our next hour of "Newsroom with Wolf Blitzer."

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